Augmented reality (AR) systems present virtual content to augment a user's real world environment. For example, virtual content overlaid over a physical object can be used to create the illusion that the physical object is moving, animated, etc. An augmented reality device worn by a user continuously updates presentation of the virtual content based on the user's movements to create the illusion that the virtual content is physically present in the user's real world environment. For example, as the user moves their head, the augmented reality device updates presentation of the virtual content to create the illusion that the virtual content remains in the same geographic position within the user's real world environment. Accordingly, a user may move around a virtual object presented by the augmented reality device in the same way the user would a physical object.
One problem with implementing augmented reality is latency associated with presenting virtual content. To convincingly create the illusion that the virtual object is in the user's real world environment, the augmented reality device has to update presentation of the virtual object almost instantaneously. Any perceivable latency in doing so diminishes the user's experience. As the user moves the augmented reality device, the user's view of the real world environment changes instantaneously. The virtual content takes a longer time to change because the augmented reality device has to process the environmental data with the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) data, render the virtual content, and project the virtual content in front of the user's field of view. This latency causes the virtual content to appear jittery or lagging, which diminishes the user's augmented reality experience. Accordingly, improvements are needed.